Shootout near ex-BJP MP’s house in Bengal's Bhatpara, one injured

Kolkata: Tension prevailed in Bhatpara under Barrackpore Police Commissionerate in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district following a shootout in front of the residence of Arjun Singh, the former BJP Lok Sabha member. The violence took place late Wednesday night, in which crude bombs were hurled and bullets fired. One person identified as Saddam was injured after being hit by a bullet during the gang war. He is currently under treatment at a local hospital. He is known as a local Trinamool Congress associate.

The local police, however, have claimed that the situation has been brought under control. No one involved with the chaos will be spared,” said a senior police officer present at the spot. A notice has already been issued to Singh asking him to be present at the local Jagatdal Police Station on Thursday. Meanwhile, a political slugfest has surfaced between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP over the gang war and shootout. Singh has claimed that the ruling party-backed goons are extremely close to Somanth Shyam, the legislator from the Jagatdal Assembly constituency, and Namit Singh, the son of a local ruling party councillor. “I was with my men to sort out a tension between two groups of workers of a local Meghna Jute Mill. Suddenly, the ruling party supporters led by Namit Singh reached there and started quarrelling with us. Suddenly, their men started hurling bombs and shooting towards us. I had a narrow escape,” Singh said. However, Somnath Shyam refuted the allegations and instead claimed that it was Singh who instigated his associates to attack the ruling party workers. He also alleged that amid tension, Singh himself resorted to firing.

A huge police contingent has been deputed in the area to keep the situation under control. This is not the first time that there has been tension and violence in front of Singh’s residence. In October last year, Singh was injured, being hit by the splinter of a crude bomb on his limb following an attack on his residence allegedly by the local Trinamool Congress activists. Singh had accused Shyam and Namit Singh of being the masterminds behind the attack.